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Oxford Conference: 50 Years Celtic Coin Index

September 1, 2011 – A one-day iron age conference at the University of Oxford, Saturday 10 December 2011, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Celtic Coin Index (CCI) at the Institute of Archaeology, Oxford. The theme of the conference is ‘Between archaeology and history: new research on iron age coinage’ and it has been organised by Dr John Sills, author of Gaulish and early British gold coinage (Spink 2003) and currently working on his next book.

Among the seven speakers is the Guernsey archaeologist Dr Philip de Jersey, former keeper of the CCI and author of Celtic Coinage in Britain (Shire 1996), who will talk about coin hoards in iron age Britain. Since metal detecting mushroomed in the 1980s some big ancient British hoards have been unearthed. The majority of the largest and most important of these coin hoards found in the past two decades have been responsibly reported by their finders, due in no small measure to higher levels of mutual respect and mutual trust established first by the Celtic Coin Index and latterly by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), set up in 1997 by Dr Roger Bland of the British Museum. Both the CCI and the PAS have proved to be highly effective recording and research resources, unique to Britain and the envy of other European countries.

Other speakers at the Oxford conference, all of whom have been involved with researching iron age coins recorded at the CCI, include John Sills who will cover the continental background to ancient British gold coinage; David Holman, the Cantian archaeologist, who will review recent work on flat linear potins and propose a new classification system for them; Colin Haselgrove, Professor of Archaeology at Leicester University, author of Iron Age Coinage in South-East England (BAR 1987) and co-editor of Iron Age coinage and ritual practices (SFMA 2005), who together with Dr Stefan Krmnicek, also of Leicester University, will look at money, coinage and networks in Celtic Europe and beyond; and Ian Leins, Curator of Iron Age and Roman coins at the British Museum and co-author (with John Talbot) of ‘Before Boudicca: the Wickham Market hoard and the middle phase gold coinage of East Anglia’ (British Numismatic Journal 80, 2010) – he will talk about the Celtic Coin Index in the 21st century and its role on the internet. Finally, at the end of what promises to be a full day, Chris Rudd shall reveal some recently discovered coin types that aren’t recorded in Ancient British Coins (Chris Rudd 2010).

If you would like to book a place at the CCI conference (fee GBP 55, plus GBP 10.50 for full lunch) contact Day & Weekend Office, OUDCE, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA.Phone: 01865 270380/270368. Fax: 01865 270309.To send an email click here.